MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
Lil’ Buck is used to putting Memphis on the map. As a choreographer and dancer, he introduced Jookin to the world. Now, he’s hoping to make his mark on the culinary field.
Friday evening, he’s launching his ‘Buck Up Sauce’. It’s a purple vegan cheese sauce that will be available at Imagine Vegan Café in Cooper Young.
The event is from 5-8 p.m. It costs $10.
“The sauce is really good,” Lil Buck said. “It's really good. It's soy, tapioca based. But the secret ingredient to make it purple, I can't tell you, but I could just tell you, it's a natural ingredient.”
He said his vegan journey started seven years ago when he was trying to make it as a dancer in Los Angeles.
“If we wanted to eat, we had to street perform first to make the money,” Lil Buck said.
He said he would feel sluggish during performances after eating until he changed to the plant-based diet.
“I didn't feel as heavy when I perform after I've eaten a vegan meal,” Lil Buck said. “I felt lighter on my feet.”
The sauce will debut in a few more cities nationally, and Lil Buck has hopes of taking it globally. He said he wanted to show young people in Memphis what’s possible.
“I just love Memphis,” Lil Buck said. “I love everything culturally about Memphis. You know, it helped me become who I am. So, for me to be a part of, you know, these different things that I love coming out of the city. It's just, you know, it's an incredible feeling.”
The Memphis Jookin Show’ will also be going on its second national tour. The first stop is in Portland, Maine, on January 31, 2023. While they kicked off the show last year in Memphis, they’re hoping to culminate the tour this year at home.
Also, Nike is now a sponsor which is momentous because those are the shoes Jookers have historically worn while dancing.